ublar13

I was a accepted to MIT and Columbia Rabi Scholar's program. The Rabi Scholars program is for 10 selected students to be science research scholars, where you get research stipends and funding. I was wondering which one should I choose. MIT obviously has a better reputation and is oriented towards the sciences. My goal is to become a doctor (M.D.), so I am not too sure which one would be better. Columbia's core has a lot of English courses, but the special program is enticing.

So which one should I choose?

rainynightstarz

isn't it kind of too late?
You were suppose to choose 2 weeks ago?

ublar13

haha, yes I did choose one of them. I'm having second thoughts, so I wanted to know if I made the right choice.

rainynightstarz

Unless you have some really REALLY good reason, they won't let you change. I am guessing you already turned one of them down, or well it is too late to say yes to one of them. Wouldn't it be easier to just love the one you committed to and worry about all dorm stuff now? XP
And if you picked MIT, we'll love you forever!! haha jkjk
Although, The Columbia Program is pretty tempting, sounds like a really good deal.

tongchen1226

hope you decided on MIT... : )
there are two things that made me dismiss columbia as a valid choice.
first, i went to visit their campus and saw strong political activism on campus (on their front lawn, to be exact). i am a bit conservative on the political scale and such liberal activism (some anti-China, which is one of the few things that i try to avoid being bound to for the next four years) just turned my stomach.
second, their financial aid didn't turn out to be what their new policy promised. my family's income is quite a bit lower than their 60k mark, yet their package still requires me to pay. it's about the same amount as i would have to pay MIT, even after columbia eliminated my first year work-study (for some scholar program). i think the package would improve had i called in, but i just didnt bother after two disappointments.
besides, MIT's people rock!

Ocikat

definately MIT

PiperXP

You do realize that MIT requires 8 classes in Humanities/Arts/Social Sciences, right?

Columbia is considered a very good school (er, Ivy League?), and that sounds like a spectacular program to be in. On the other hand, getting research opportunities at MIT isn't hard because of the UROP program.

I think you should choose based off the personality of the school =).

kryptonsa36

If you're set on getting an M.D., MIT does have its impressive share of pre-med superstar graduates, but the school faculty and curriculum are not geared at all toward pre-meds (in fact, some of it may be distinctly anti-pre-med), especially when compared to those of MIT's peer instututions. That being said, premedical advising given by the MIT Careers Office shouldn't be bad at all.